The piece had always been scheduled as a temporary exhibit and was hauled away last spring amid tears and cheers.

None of that debate mattered Saturday to Matt Knight and Alexis Cabrito of Allied Gardens.

Knight, a nine-year U.S. Navy veteran, said he has been visiting “The Kiss” for years, and when he decided to pop the question to his longtime girlfriend, the dedication Saturday seemed like the perfect setting.

“I was shocked,” Cabrito said a few minutes after agreeing to the proposal, which was offered in front of her family. “They didn’t tell me anything.”

Knight said he looks forward to many happy returns to the scene.

“When they took it away, it was really sad,” he said of the statue. “Now it’s great to have that tradition carried on.”